The Oklahoma Cop Accused of Serial Rape Just Met His Fate

December 11th 2015

By:

Alex Mierjeski

Daniel Holtzclaw, the former Oklahoma City police officer accused of using his position of power to commit a string of sexual assaults against black women, including raping 13, was found guilty Thursday night by a jury in that city.

Lurching in his courtroom chair, Holtzclaw was given the verdict on each of the 36 charges he faced, which ranged from sexual battery to forced oral sodomy. After more than 40 hours of deliberation, the 29-year-old was found guilty on five counts of rape and 13 other counts of sexual assault, and faces a sentence of more than 200 years.

BREAKING: Former Oklahoma officer convicted of first-degree rape among charges that he abused 13 women.

Holtzclaw's case, which sat at the hotly-contested intersection of abusive police tactics and discrimination against Black men and women, had been closely watched. Concern leading up to the trial swirled around the all-white jury selected to oversee the case, given that the victims were all women of color. But the severity of the jury's verdict, which came as a surprise to some, could be potentially significant.